Sam Gilliam Sewing Fields

Sam Gilliam was a visionary force in abstraction. A pioneering artist, who redefined the boundaries of painting, he transformed the medium with his radical approach to color, material, and space. Accompanying a major exhibition, 'Sam Gilliam; Sewing Fields' at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, this publication focuses on a lesser-known yet crucial period in Gilliam's later career - his sewn and collaged works- offering fresh perspectives on his relentless experimentation. 

'Sewing Fields' also highlights Gilliam's connection to Ireland, where a transformative residency at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in 1993 reshaped his artistic practice. Far from his Washington, D.C., studio Gilliam embraced new materials, working with pre-stained fabrics that he had shipped to Ireland, cutting and layering them into sculptural compositions. A collaboration with a local dressmaker further expanded this process, reinforcing his innovative fusion of painting an textile practices.

'Sewing Fields' brings these groundbreaking works back to Ireland, nearly 50 years after the artist's first exhibition in Dublin, positioning Gilliam within a broader transatlantic dialogue on abstraction. This publication offer in-depth analysis of Gilliam's legacy, celebrating his restless creativity and his profound impact on contemporary art.